It’s 6 AM and I’m sitting in the airport waiting for my 7AM flight. The first of 3 today to get to Williamsburg, Virginia. Well, actually to Richmond and then I’m driving to Williamsburg.
There is a weather system playing here in Texas and I was warned that there may be delays out of Austin. I’m crossing my fingers that long layovers work in my favor today.
My new shirts arrived so I’m wearing the first one for today’s travels.
Kittens in Space Themed
Yes, it does have cats on it.
Sunrise above the rain
The first stop was Austin, Texas. The next leg took me to Orlando, Florida. In the terminal I was connecting flights, I couldn’t find any cool, welcome sign. I’m guessing it’s over in Terminal A or B as you leave the airport. So here are planes and the sky.
Welcome to Florida Florida Terminal viewGoodbye Florida
The final airport was Richmond, Virginia and they did have a welcome sign, but it was for a speech and debate event happening. I was actually indirectly traveling with my school district’s middle school and high school debate teams, For most of the kids it was their first trip on a plane and first leaving Texas.
And with that, it was time to get my rental from Hertz and drive 40 minutes to Williamsburg. I wish I had set up my camera to film some of the drive. So many trees.
After a quick trip to a grocery store for milk, eggs, bread and sodas, I cooked myself some spaghetti watched some TV and called it a night.
I slept better last night, that doesn’t mean those people sharing the joy, driving their cars stopped, there were at least less of them that woke me up.
I decided not to go to the Con early this morning because I can’t resist the merchandise and I’ve spent too much on things. I will be making one final walk around before leaving today… I need more of these.
Strawberry cream flavored macarons
Thinking about those snacks has me wondering what to do for breakfast this morning.
Checking the weather there is a good chance of rain later this morning and these clouds are similar to the ones on Friday morning when it went from sunny to rainy in 30 minutes.
Sunrise… Where is the sun?
Wow, this was a busy weekend for outdoor events. Friday was the Art Festival and a 5k night run, Saturday morning was another running event and this morning there is a bicycle race.
Bicycle Raceway
I think I need to venture out for breakfast…
Today, we will be trying a Pfannkuchen, at Artisan Haus Bakery & Bistro. What is a Pfannkuchen? Well it is a German thin pancake very similar to a crepe. I’m here at 8 AM and the place looks closed, but checking the Google timeline thingy I’m here before the crowd, so as I’m leaving this place should be hopping.
Farmer’s PfannkuchenThese things are huge
Time to hear a drum line.
Corpus Christi Taiko Club
This club is a volunteer club that is about 3 years old. Corpus Christi Onami Taiko Club more information about them can be found here on their Facebook Page.
The next session I visited was presented by @fatecosplay where he introduce to DnD. It was a very well organized presentation with information on where and how to find fellow players. Online tools you can use to help you track your character and manage a game if you are a DM. I did have to leave early because of the unlimited access to Pecos Pete’s Sodas. You buy the mug once and pay $7.00 a day where every Pecos Pete has setup their cart. The diet root beer is top quality. So I think you can figure out why I had to leave.
Puzzle update Day 3
I worked on the puzzle this morning for about 15 minutes and I just came back at 1:30 PM and there is a couple working on it as I type. So I’ll post a picture later.
When I returned a bit later
I went back to the food vendor area to buy another round of macarons but sadly they sold out.. Next year it is.
To tell the truth I’m tired and thinking of leaving early. With my VIP ticket I have discounts to the Art Museum, the Aquarium, the USS Lexington, and the Botanical gardens. I’m leaning towards the Botanical gardens, they close at 6 PM so there is still plenty of time.
I couldn’t leave without finishing the puzzle so I started working on it and a kid asked if he could join. He completed the Eevee in the middle and the upper right corner before he had to leave.
And it’s finished
If anyone that helped complete the puzzle sees this blog, thanks and great teamwork. Next year if I return, I should bring a notepad and ask people to sign the notebook and post pictures to a public site. Let’s see if I remember…
As I left C4 for the last time this year I smelled pizza. I was reminded of a pizza place recommended by a few people so I think I will get pizza and assess if I want to do any more walking. Besides I need to do some minor editing on the video from the drum line. You should have already watched it, but at the time of my typing it is just raw footage. Non linear time lines are fun.
Well, scrap pizza, Marty McPie is closed on Sunday. There are a few others that serve pizza but now I just want to go back to my room.
Just to close out this blog and answer all question, I ended up ordering the flat bread pizza appetizer from the hotel restaurant. That’s dinner sorted. And now that I’ve edited the drumline video, uploaded and linked it; its time to close out this 3 day blog.
I should be back next year. I like this Con because it isn’t too big, yes, the “stars” are not the top tier actors, but I’ve been to the Con in McAllen with “bigger named stars” and that one is just too crowded and VIP ticket holders get less for their money, or maybe C4 just gives us more. I’ve never been to another Con so maybe the McAllen one is typical and C4 is special. I guess I need to venture out to a different one sometime soon to compare.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the prose. I’ve tried to provide links so if you visit Corpus Christi you will have a starting point of a few things to do. Maybe you will even want to attend C4 next year. I’m signing off for now. Next adventure is in a few weeks and I will be going somewhere on the east coast. Subscribe if you want to read about that adventure. Be blessed.
First, to the idiots that kept running up and down Shoreline Drive at 2 and 3 AM blasting their music and revving their engines… You all suck… Now that I have that out of the way…
I started day 2 with a 5k run. About a mile into my run I joined an actual live running event I didn’t know about. I would have signed up and gotten another metal. 😁
SunriseJust looked coolAnother just looked cool.
So here is my fit and some pictures of me, before I got too hot and had to change.
I decided to skip going for breakfast and instead chose to eat when I got to the event. So, I had mac and cheese with pulled pork for my brunch. Right? If you eat fancy food that’s not typical for breakfast after 10 AM you call that brunch? Whatever it’s called, it hit the spot. Sorry no pic, I was hungry and forgot to take a picture.
The first panel I wanted to see was the historical connection to Anime and Manga to Japan folk tales. The presenter, Chloe from the Texas State Museum of Asian Culture, used a flip book to tell a story, a modern adaptation, about a kingdom being attacked by a monster and the king calling for heroes and only 2 respond, a Texas ranger and a samurai. The presenter read the story in Japanese and then in English. She mentioned that many of the Manga and Anime comics and shows link back to eastern mythology and common cultural experience that are not originally found here in the West.
The second tale was about a giant peach. This story she told in English only, but if you’ve ever played Pokemon Scarlet, you see this similar story, but instead of finding a baby boy, the player finds a baby pokemon.
If you are interested in the story, Chloe has published this book, and you can purchase it on Amazon and learn some Japanese.
Michaela Jill Murphy (Toph) and Dante Basco (Zuko) talked about their experiences voice acting these characters for Nickelodeon years ago.
Michaela discussed at the time as a kid (13 years old) she just read the lines, did her job and didn’t really think much about the show. When the show ended, her thoughts were… time to focus on school and get ready to become a doctor (she changed her mind later); however, as an adult she has gone back and rewatched all the episodes and was amazed at the writers storytelling and how good it was, making her job as a kid easy and how that writing still resonates with audiences today.
Dante discussed his impact as a Filipino actor, giving representation to people normally not seen in leading roles in Hollywood. At the time he was still young, and even his role as Rufio in Hook, was letting in his words “brown people” be seen. Now as an adult, looking back, he can see the impact especially when he interacts with fans, when they tell him the impact his career has had on their lives.
And yes, the crowd did get him to say his immortal words from Hook, “Rufio, Rufio, … ” go watch the movie.
The 3rd panel of the day was another presentation on story telling and folklore but this one was connected to Pokemon more directly.
This was a presentation give by historians that work at Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures & Education Center. The presenter started off asking what, the capital of France, the tendon that connects your ankle to your foot, and the popularity of people being named Hector. Paris, Achilles, and Hector are all from the mythological history of Greece and the Trojan war. Those stores are 1000s of years old yet everyone in Western culture knows them in some fashion. The same is true in the Eastern world, but with different mythological histories.
Now, I missed the craze in 1990 when Pokemon came to US. I would have enjoyed the translation error that happened in the episode about “jelly doughnuts“. Confusion, needless to say, children in the USA were confused by these triangular rice treats.
Ninetales is based on the Kitsune (and Chinese Huli Jing), a mythical fox that gains magical abilities
The concept of a duck with an onion or leek in its mouth comes from a classic Japanese proverb, kamo ga negi o shotte kuru. This proverb translates literally to “a duck comes bearing green onions,” The proverb is used to describe a scenario that is unbelievably convenient or a stroke of good fortune.
In Japanese folklore, the Dorotabō (muddy rice-field monk) is a yōkai (spirit/demon) that rises from rice paddies. This demon punishes rice farmers that neglect their rice pads.
Just like our Greek myths in the western world, these myths listed about are just as common to Japanese people.
Yes, my experiment is working. I started one of the Pokemon puzzles yesterday and people are actually helping to complete it. I only did the edge and a bit of the right side.
Day 1Day 2 Update in tomorrow’s post
Before the Adult cosplay contest, there is an Anime cover band out of Houston,Tx called, Itzakaiju, performing. Seeing as the majority of the people cosplaying are in anime dress, I will go check them out.
If the link below works, this is a reel by the band as the enter Corpus Christi, walk the Con, Setup and play, then walk the Art Fest that happens the first of every month here in Corpus Chrisit.
I chose not to sit in the VIP section even though my pass let me, it was just too close. Crap, I should have brought my concert ear plugs. The ear plugs are awesome devices that drop the decibels noticable but don’t degrade the quality. Sorry, pictures only search for the cover band and you can find their Instagram and TikTok.
Itzakaiju
After the amazing performance by Itzakaiju, I headed back to the VIP lounge to get a snack, recharge my phone and work on the Pokemon puzzle a bit. While in the room an epic game of Jenga took place. These two girls ended up standing on chairs and using the second Jenga game to battle out. They actually ran out of moves and decided to call it a draw.
Epic Jenga
I don’t know half what these people are cosplaying… But here are the pictures from the contest.
OMG, almost no one paused to take a pose. I’m not sure how the judges even got a look. Once the official pictures are posted, I will link them here.
LiNK –> Corpus Christi Comic Con (the photos from last year (2025) are linked at the bottom of their webpage, so expect 2026 in the coming weeks.
Welcome to the first of three planned adventures this summer.
For my own memory this first adventure is taking place over the June 5 to June 7 weekend here in Corpus Christi, Texas.
I started the day with a short walk down to Norma Urban Park, which hosts Laundry’s, Harrison’s and Joe’s. This seems to be a man created peninsula to help protect the boats in the marina. It is also a good place to get a view of the sunrise with buildings or boats in the foreground.
June 5th, 2026 Sunrise
This also gave me a chance to test out the gimbal I bought to use with my phone at the comic con. Ok it’s more of just a selfie stick, but gimbal sounds more professional. 😁
It’s going to be a few more hours, the doors open at 11:30, and after a shower to fully wake up; I needed breakfast.
Sure I could have eaten at the hotel, but that’s boring and I’m here with my truck so let’s drive…
I decided on a place called Hester’s. It’s a coffee shop with pastries and hot food. It’s only open for breakfast and lunch; hence it sounded great to me.
Ok, I’m inserting a short side story… as I was getting ready to leave I noticed the person in the gallery above taking pictures. The owner of the restaurant came out from the back excited that the photographer was still there. Why?, fresh baked sourdough bread is why… So I’m going to guess these pictures will be on social media soon. Thanks for joining me on this side trip. I enjoy finding life happening. Ok, back to breakfast…
I decided on the “Louis” Armstrong, which is your basic, 2 eggs, toast, potatoes and bacon. It is going to be a good day when the cook gets the eggs over easy right.
I really need to get an egg mold this size. The ones I have are for 1 egg, which means I use 2 every time I cook myself breakfast. Enough with my rambling about other things… (FYI, if you are new… I ramble a lot, you’ve been warned.)
I’m finishing my 2nd cup of coffee and waiting for the rain to stop, and my brain is wondering so I’ll take you with me… (see…)
The weather is fascinating… It was sunny and partly cloudy when I entered the restaurant but as I was eating the forecasted rain decided to move in a few hours early. One day maybe the weather apps will work as well as they did for Doc Brown in Back to the Future Part II.
Ok, back on topic… Well, sort of, its still over 2 hours until doors open and I don’t sit still especially after coffee, but the rain is going to limit outdoor activity, so back to the hotel to finish charging my cell phone and edit this post on my laptop.
Well, the rain clouds have moved off and the sun is out again so it is working out to be an extra nice June 5th here in south Texas. I’m getting ready to head off to the main event of the day. No cosplay for me today, but I did bring my Halloween Jedi costume that I’m thinking of wearing tomorrow. Today’s it’s just my frost dragon Hawaiian shirt from Geek Tropical. I’ve got some other shirts on order and hope they arrive in time for my next June adventure… Where you say? You will have to check back or sign up for email notification to find out. 😇
Now on to the CON!!!!!
For anyone interested here is the guest line up for the 2026 Comic Con and Anime
Welcome
Some pictures from the vendors and the DJ pumping tunes into the exhibit hall and making announcements.
Check out this booth that seems to focus on creating Pokemon dioramas.
So after walking the exhibit hall a few times, I needed a break so it was time to take advantage of the VIP lounge.
A place to sit, games, puzzles and chargers
This is such a great idea for events like this. A nice place to sit and get out of the crowd, well Friday there wasn’t that big of a crowd but tomorrow I expect more people.
I skipped a meal last year at the Maid Cafe, so I had to try it this year.
What an exciting experience. You get a dinner and a show. Maybe.?.
Well, that was an experience. To be honest, I was expecting a bit more. The cupcake was one of those bitesize ones you can buy from Walmart. The soda pictured above was very good and was an import from Japan. It was a glass bottle with a glass bead sealing the top. You had to use the plastic topper to pop the seal to drink. So the unique drink counts as an up. The players were all very enthusiastic and if I had known more about these Japanese maid cafes and was a fan of Kawaii this would have been an awesome experience. Would I do this again, sure but with a friend or group. But if you are into this topic, this troupe is out of Houston and is available for hire for a gig. They are good at what they do, it’s just not my thing.
PAUSE… Next day me with an edit… Here is a post from Mim Cloud on her Instagram. I’m at the table on the left out of the shot. Another edit. This time the Instagram link worked
So they don’t allow candid pictures of the meet and greet area, but I was able to sneak the one above of Scott Innes booth. I guess since he has lots of Scooby Doo merch to sell; his booth is extreme.
While walking around the exhibit hall, The Sea Breeze Singers, cornered me and forced me to sing a song with them. Just kidding they asked me to sing with them. I should have recorded it. Anyways they were walking the exhibit hall trying to drum up an audience for their 2 PM. Sadly it’s their only show of the weekend and I had dinner plans. See above.
Sea Breeze Singers
I’m heading off to my first panel of the day and to be honest I don’t have a clue what to expect. Especially after the Maid Cafe.
The title is “The Butlers Did It”
This was a very cozy event with Steven Butler and his daughter Lily Butler. Both are graphic artists that draw for comic books. They are both freelance and work on Archie Comics and Sonic. Oh, if you happen to have a Spiderman themed wallet, Steven drew that. It was supposed to be a cover for an anniversary issue but Marvel decided to put on a wallet and other merchandise. Steven also showed some sketches of an upcoming Archie Comics crossover with a popular movie about time travel, but I need to Terminate this sentence so no one gets in trouble for revealing a secret.
Both father and daughter shared how they got into the trade and some important lessons they’ve learned about deadlines and getting your foot in the door. Basically to make it in the industry you need to be able to produce quality quickly and manage your time between various projects.
They both were very friendly and down to earth. They even host a live podcast on YouTube every Tuesday evening at 8 PM EST called, “Comic Book Chaos“. During this 30 minutes the draw on whatever random topic is selected. This would be a great opportunity to observe the drawing process in action. I’m planning on checking out a few episodes tonight before bed.
It’s now time for the first panel I wanted to hear. Let’s go check in on Eddie Mcclintock and talk all thing Warehouse 13.
Eddie Mcclintock
A fun fact about Eddie, he is now a native of Corpus Christi. His wife is originally from Texas and they recently sold their home in California and moved here to Texas. So maybe he will be present at more Texas Cons.
We learned that Eddie is a fan of the horror genre, especially the Living Dead and Arm of Darkness. It’s amazing to hear from a star how much they sometimes fan over their heroes, such as Bruce Campbell, whom he met via a mutual friend and spent the lunch talking about the Living Dead movies.
From further discussion about his career related to Warehouse 13, it seems this show was another victim of an TV executive decisions to maximize profit over public entertainment. It sounds very similar to what happened to the original Quantum Leap.
After hearing the discussion, I’m amazed to learn of all the times Eddie was on the screen, from his first roll in a Coor’s beer commercial to his appearance on a day time soup opera to his bigger hits such as Warehouse 13.
Well, day 1 is drawing to an end and I’m now in search of dinner. I’m going to check out Harrison’s Landing again. It had cold beer and good fish n chips last year.
Well, another unexpected event… Seems Harrison’s is going through some remodeling so their menu is limited. The beer is still cold. 😁
Seared tuna tacos
Key lime mousse
And with desert eaten, it’s time to put this blog to bed. Until tomorrow. Live long and my the force be with you…
Final day in Las Vegas, gambling was planned but none took place. I check 5 casinos for $10 blackjack tables and I found them, but those tables were very popular, so I gave up at 4 PM and went back to my room to recharge for tomorrow’s flights back home.
First, let me start with the view from my room this morning. I forgot to post my first night view, so you get the one from this morning.
I spent the morning checking out The Forum Shops at Caesars. If you have read my blog from June 2025, when I walked around a very similar style shopping area, Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort. I did check out Tommy Bahama for some shorts, and I did like the linen variety, but not for $138. Here are some views from The Forum.
I also ate lunch at the last Irish Pub I wanted to try while in Las Vegas, The Nine Fine Irishmen. I had their Seafood Chowder and was very happy with my meal. While the weather people kept mentioning that Vegas was hitting record high temperatures, if you are in the shade the breeze keeps you very comfortable, so just stay out of the direct sun.
As I started this blog, I spent the rest of the afternoon at the MGM, the Luxor and the Excalibur questing for a seat at a $10 table. I decided the 3:2 wasn’t worth my effort because I normally don’t play long enough to get that many blackjacks. Statistically, there is a blackjack every 21 hands, now I guess playing at a full table will increase the rate of seeing a blackjack, but for my $10 bets the difference between a 3:2 vs a 6:5 table is only $2. If I was betting larger amounts, things would be different.
And I have to end with The Sphere showing off Pi –
I forgot to talk about the start of March Madness. The sports betting areas were only lightly populated on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Thursday they were full. Not sure there was any other place where you could watch that many games at the same time. There was even a huge screen setup outside The Linq.
I’m glad I got out on Friday.
Speaking of getting out.. here are some pictures of Burbank Airport and some pictures from the airplane heading back to Texas.
I’m thinking of trying Vegas in December crossing my fingers the airplane ticket prices go down by then.
Ok now officially until the next adventure… Williamsburg, Virginia.
Today’s adventure – DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS – and the Fremont Street area. As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m going to try my lucky at the Blackjack tables at the Golden Nugget, which the web and locals say is the best blackjack casino for the player. This means it has the best pay out with the greatest chances. Crossing my fingers I can win enough to pay for yesterday’s meals, so I need to win $120.
Ok, let me take care of the elephant in the room as they say. I didn’t win any money. Seems I shouldn’t have played today at the Nugget. The only blackjack tables open were the desired 3:2, $10 bets, but they had a mandatory $2 bonus blackjack bet. So even though I was winning at first, I kept losing $2 because I never hit a blackjack. Eventually, I lost and didn’t have enough to keep playing. So, lesson learned. Don’t play any blackjack game with a busy or messy felt and avoid mandatory bonus plays. The tables at Treasure Island, while having a $15 minimum would have been better for me to play again. I do have one more day here so I’m going to give it one more run but not if I can’t find the perfect table.
With the bad news out of the way, let’s talk about Fremont Street and Downtown Las Vegas.
The streets leading to Fremont were all quiet when I arrived. The only people moving around were those from the city hall and courthouse going to lunch. I did see a couple at the marriage license office taking pictures in their formal attire. As I approached the Golden Nugget from S. Casino Blvd, I stumbled upon St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. According to their website:
“Historic St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church was founded in 1908. Our present church building was dedicated in 1940.“
Finding a church only a block from the casinos seems out of place, knowing that most of these casinos started by mob money.
So, I entered the Golden Nugget and walked through the casino, lost some money and then headed out to Fremont Street.
The temperature under the covered, dome ceiling was noticeable cooler. While Las Vegas was expected to break heat records today, there is still a cool breeze making the open space pleasant. Now if you could only get rid of the occasional smell of weed. Seriously, that has been a problem everyday here. Cigarette smoke is terrible but that burning, skunk smell of pot is twice as bad. You are walking down the street smelling all the amazing restaurants and then BAM! a cloud of invisible pot smoke.
I walked through the Fremont Street Experience toward East Fremont. Along the way I saw long bars selling draft beers and many flavored daiquiris. I expected to have to dodge other tourists, but there are marked out circles for street performers. Most of these spots were taken by people just begging for money. I appreciated the real performers that would draw your picture, sold flowers they crafted out of cornstalks or the singers/rappers. There was on lady that setup a speaker and backtrack device and sang a variety of Motown hits. I even saw a few fellow tourists dancing like they were at a concert. Oh, I almost forgot “the girls” the ones with the feathers, they were there in multiple colors, spaced out so they didn’t compete with each other. If you don’t make eye contact, they ignore you like you ignore them. At least the Chip n Dale dances had a booth and didn’t roam around. So after making it through all that I was at East Fremont where I had lunch at Hennessey’s Tavern. The burger has Irish bacon and Irish cheese. It was very juicy and delicious. Looking at the pictures, you will see a 60 oz glass, you could get a draft beer or a variety of mixed drinks in that glass. If I had bought one, I would not have been able to standup after finishing it. I could see sharing with a few close friends, but solo… have mercy on your liver.
Irish burger and a Guinness
Oh, I should probably mention the easy at getting to Fremont Street via the Monorail and the Downtown Loop shuttle. It was just that, very easy. The only issue was the time waiting for the free shuttle. A Google search said the shuttle is GPS tracked but didn’t provide a site to use to track it and the shuttle is operated by the city of Las Vegas and not the RTC so it doesn’t show up on that app. If anyone knows how to track the shuttle, please leave it in the comments and I will update with the link HERE.
Here are some pictures from the inside of the Sahara and the Strat.
I refollowed my travel path back to my hotel, thought about getting an ice cream, but decide to wait until after tonight’s show at the Sphere.
I did check out I Love Sugar. If you have a sweet tooth, I’m sure you could find something in this store to make your dentist happy with all the cavities you will have after eating all that sugar.
I can’t really describe the Sphere experience; you have to see it for yourself to understand. Some suggestions when you purchase tickets, obviously pick seats in the center sections the 300s are probably the better seats, but the low 400s below 410 are probably pretty good too. I’m going to limit the pictures and only show you size of the screen.
Everything is an image
The colors really popLook at the size of the screen
This is a full sensory event. They had big fans that spread leaves during the tornado. The seats rumbled but didn’t move. There were animated butterflies that flew around and took me a minute to realize they weren’t on the screen. I’m going to keep a few other things secret so you can be surprised if you see the show.
Close up from outside
The food and drink prices in the Sphere were crazy. I wasn’t willing to pay $7 for a Diet Pepsi and $15 for a slice of pizza was also to much. I left the show sort of hungry, but after walking another 10+ miles, I decide I could just eat a bag of microwave popcorn that I bought at the market earlier.
And with that I’m going to sign off… One more day of adventure left.
Well, I was up at 4:30 AM (Vegas time) because my body thought I had overslept (6:30 AM my regular time). I’ve had plenty of time to think and solve my “no shorts, no fun” dilemma. There are a bunch of shops here in Vegas, I’ve settled on Macy’s because A. It’s closest to me and B. it opens at 10 AM. This “extra” shopping has me changing my plans, basically I’m switching my Tuesday and Wednesday. I will be keeping my quest for the perfect Guinness pour, I will just now be including Downtown Las Vegas to the plan.
A good question you should ask, how will you get around? Downtown Las Vegas is a good walk (1.5 hours) from The Strip. Well, I’ve been researching and found a few options. The best option is probably buying a 3-day bus pass and using The Deuce route. This route takes you from The Strip to Downtown Las Vega; however, it is a bus so it’s not the fastest. I provided links to these options, you will need to navigate the websites, but they aren’t hard to find the correct purchase option and the interactive map.
Another option if you are just staying on The Strip is the monorail. You can purchase single or daily passes. I opted for the 3-day pass.
There is a free bus that takes you from The Strat (Northern Hotel on The Strip) to Downtown Las Vegas, but it has only daily hours, from 11 AM to 6 PM Sunday through Thursday. If you are in Downtown Las Vegas, it looks to be a good way to move around. Just be ready to find another way to return to The Strip if you stay past 6 PM during the week. The weekend hours run until 10 PM.
My hotel’s coffee isn’t too bad. I’ve had 2 cups since starting today’s update. I’m just waiting until 9 AM so I can get discount tickets for my show at the Sphere on Wednesday.
My shopping adventure was a failure for finding shorts or jeans my size. I did only check Macy’s. Glad I can do laundry in my room, I’m washing my clothes now at 4:30 PM local time.
So, what was I up to all day you ask?
The new Hard Rock Casino
Looking North
Looking South
The Sphere from the other side of The Palazzo
New York from the MGM
Looking North from the southern most crossover
For all that walking, I explored some shopping centers, some resorts and some casinos. I tried my luck at Treasure Island Casino, and I watched my luck run away from me. I won the first hand, but then the dealer hit Blackjack once and then a second time, and poof there went my daily gambling budget all but $5.
Bar in Nine FineInside Mandalay BayInside W Las Vegas Bar 1 in Ri RaLuxorLuxor Luxor Outside Luxor Entry to Luxor from tram
After all the walking I finally found a spot to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. With food, music and Guinness. The Shepard’s Pie was pretty good at Rí Rá Irish Pub. It was a very full pub, but I got lucky and found a seat at the bar near the Guinness pouring station. I lost track of how many pours the bartenders did. According to the Seatle Times, 13 million pints of Guinness are served worldwide on March 17th.
The number of people dressing in green was crazy. I only had my socks. There was an older gentleman play slots that dyed his beard orange and wearing a leprechaun costume. I’m still amazed at the number of children I had to dodge. Guess Vegas is losing its Sin City vibe… NAY!!!
Check out these lovely ladies I met. PSA they request a payment for the picture.
Now back to my room to type up this blog and relax from my adventures. Don’t think I will do anything else tonight, but eat dinner, plays some video games, and watch some TV.
12.3 miles and I even rode trams and monorails.
Tomorrow, it’s off to Downtown Las Vegas to try my luck at the Golden Nugget. Until tomorrow.
The bartender at my resort was celebrating St. Paddy’s.
Today is my first time flying with the new assigned seats via Southwest. One good thing, you can see how booked is the flight. 48 hours ago I had the option for a free seat upgrade, but only on the first leg of my flights today. At that time there were only 12 open seats; however, the 2nd plane was completely full, 😟 no free upgrade.
Getting through security was a breeze, but they had to pat my left ankle down again. I wonder if I should talk to my doctor about that? Also my crocs set off an issue so they had to be x-rayed. Some much for not having to take off my shoes. 🤷♂️
The guilty shoes. 😃
Now I just need to wait for my plane to arrive and then I’m off.
Not sure why the brim is turning up
I’m sitting here smelling the food from the cafe by my gate and trying to decide if I should get something or was the donut I had a few hours ago will get me through? My layover in Houston is pretty short, gambling I have time to grab a quick bite.
Speaking of gambling… That is the theme of this week’s trip. Viva Las Vegas! I had luck the one and only time I played blackjack and I’m hoping to have enough luck to pay for meals and shows. It would be great if I could roll the cost of this vacation over and use it for my summer trips. 😁🤑😇
Enough for now be back soon.
Is this a sign or just chance?
I am now going to be landing 2 minutes before my other flight starts boarding. Crossing my fingers I don’t have to run across the airport
OMG!!! I’ve never had my name called over the PA at an airport until today. Needless to say, my flight to Houston was delayed by over an hour. We even just sat on the runway for 30 minutes before being given clearance to takeoff because of the air traffic in Houston. I did make it to my connection, but when I looked at this flight to Vegas from Houston the other night it was fully booked. I think less than half the seats are filled. All those 5Ks I run came in handy today. I was only partial winded speed walking from gate 2 to gate 43. On to Vegas.
Well, first we had to stop in Lubbock, Tx. Almost moved here as a teenager when my dad almost got transferred for work.
Leg 2 of 3
I can say I was in Lubbock. 👍🤷
Finally, heading to Vegas 2 hours late.
Enjoy some pictures from the window of the plane.
The first thing you see when you get off the plane isn’t a “Welcome to Vegas” sign its the other welcome, slot machines. Large, multi-color and blinking machines where you just push a button and hope the programmers have a setting that lets you win.
Even with all the blinking lights and machines promising you money if you are lucky, navigating the airport wasn’t too bad. There is plenty signage directing you to the tram that takes you bag claim and travel options, rental cars, uber, shuttles, you’ve got the idea.
I decided to use Uber on this trip, for no particular reason. Wow, the app has change a bunch since the last time I used it. And to be honest with all the warnings about making sure your driver is your driver, I wonder why I even used it. There are even warning now for you to state your name for the drivers safety. Ignoring all that, my driver was friendly and efficiently got me to my resort.
After getting into my room, I was hungry. I’ve only eaten pretzels and pistachios so I tried the Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad.
Salads are not my normal go to meal, but I’m on week 8 of a fitness challenge with my gym and the weigh-in is when I get home. I’ve been showing moderate success and I’d like to keep the momentum.
With something in my tummy I set out to see if I could find a 3:2 payout Blackjack table at the Linq or the Flamingo. I was out of luck. The Linq didn’t have any tables open, just digital machines and the Flamingo had mostly 6:5 payout with $15 buy in. There was one 3:2 table but it was $25 buy in and I was only planning on risking $20 for each try. Tomorrow I will head to Treasure Island or Excalibur. Google shows that they have 3:2 tables with lower buy ins or I will have to take an Uber to the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas. It was recommend for the best Blackjack tables in Vegas.
Enjoy some of the scenes walking the strip and looking in the casinos.
Now that I’m back in my room, I was changing into my night clothes and realized I didn’t pack any shorts or pants. I only have 2 pair of workout shorts and the pants I wore today. So, I guess I have to go shopping for shorts tomorrow or make use of the resorts laundry room.
Ok, local time shows it to be 11 PM but my internal clock is starting to feel the 1 AM that it would be in Texas. So I’m going to wrap this up here. I’m meeting with the resort hostess tomorrow to get discount tickets to see the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere. Oh speaking of the Sphere, I’m on the opposite side of the resort this time, so no wake with The Sphere this time.
Until tomorrow, which is St. Paddy’s Day… (FYI this is the only day I plan on drinking, after I buy shorts.)
Well, it seems it’s been since November that I’ve actually made a post so here, I am, today in Corpus Christi, Texas making a post. I’m running a 5k Saturday morning sponsored Goodwill. A fun fact: the course is going to run me past my hotel.
Later this evening I’m seeing Ally the Piper. Here are some links for YouTube if you have not heard Ally’s music before.
I am here again on South Padre Island running my 4th Turtle Trot 5k. Compared to my last 5k on October 31st, I was a bit slower by 40 seconds but still within my normal range.
This year’s medal looks really good with the sun as a back light.
This time I had their Garlic Chicken Tortellini and it was very filling.
I’ve been cooking and eating at home more lately and I’m finding that eating out I come away extra stuffed. I really should learn to take some to go, because the portion sizes are almost too much for me now.
After the race this morning, I went to Josephine’s Kitchen on SPI. They have really good waffles and good coffee.
Don’t try to go here for dinner; they are breakfast, and brunch only – 7 AM to 2 PM. One day I need to try one of their mimosas.
After finishing breakfast my body, mainly my legs and knees told me I’d put them through too much trauma and they were planning on staging a protest so I am limiting my adventure this year. So it’s Diet Dr. P, Pringles and this view from my hotel room. I love upgrades, it sometimes pays to have brand loyalty, thanks IHG.
I’m hoping to get a picture of the moon rise tonight so I’m going to test out the hotel’s restaurant.
Camarón Al Tequila
Tomorrow’s breakfast will be at the Grapevine Cafe, because I love their crab cakes and eggs benedict.
Setup my big camera to capture the moon rise on November 9, 2025. The moon rose further north on the Eastern horizon than I thought. My misconception was the moon and sun rise in similar locations.
To pair with the moon rise here is the sunrise on Sunday, November 9th, 2025. Seems plenty of other people had the same idea as me to wake up early and watch the sunrise.
Well, it’s time to head home and return to reality. Until the next adventure.
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